MMDA calls on LGUS to curb mall sales amid holiday rush

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Thursday that it will ask local government units to ask mall owners to avoid conducting sales during peak days this holiday season to manage the traffic. 

“We are not prohibiting malls from conducting per store sales. What we are emphasizing is cooperation—especially in managing the surge of shoppers which directly impacts traffic,” said MMDA chairperson Romando Artes. 

Artes made the statement after he earlier said that the recent six-hour gridlock that brought Marcos Highway to a standstill was due to the simultaneous mall sales and uncoordinated truck ban policies. 

The MMDA official noted that an average of 270,000 vehicles traverse Marcos Highway daily. 

“Traffic inevitably becomes heavier during weekends, so coordination is crucial. We need to synchronize traffic adjustments immediately with the LGUs,” said Artes. 

Further, the MMDA also began on Thursday the implementation of several measures to ease the traffic flow at Marcos Highway following the so-called “carmaggedon” last weekend.

“We are now implementing the necessary interventions to ensure smoother traffic flow along Marcos Highway. Part of these efforts are the installation of additional traffic signages, deployment of additional personnel, and close coordination with the concerned LGUs,” said Artes. 

The MMDA official said the composite team was able to pinpoint operational bottlenecks, observe vehicular flow patterns, and identify safety concerns affecting both motorists and pedestrians following an inspection of the major access points in Marcos Highway. 

Other traffic management interventions include replacement of the concrete barriers with 20 plastic barriers; relocation and reconfiguration of U-turn slots in coordination with the concerned local government units within the area; traffic signal adjustments on the signalized intersection of Sumulong Highway-Marcos Highway. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News